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Cicero Awards

An Ovation of Your Own

More than 2,000 years ago, Cicero called rhetoric a “great art.” Since then, staggering advances in mass communication haven't diminished the transformative power of a great speech.

And the Cicero Speechwriting Awards recognize the speechwriters and the speakers who make it great.

No one knows better than you do—or better than we do—what it takes to make such a speech: research, audience analysis, introspection, writing and thoughtful rewriting. Whether the work is done mostly by the speaker or the speechwriter or by a perfect collaboration of each, the work must be done.

Presented by Vital Speeches of the Day, the prestigious monthly collection of speeches, the Cicero Speechwriting Awards recognize the work that makes the speeches that help leaders lead—in every sector of business, politics and society.

Get the recognition you deserve. Enter the 2018 Cicero Speechwriting Awards today.

Featured Winners

Rules

The Cicero Speechwriting Awards are open to any speechwriter from the public or private sector interested in winning recognition for their work.

Eligibility - Entries may be the actual text of a speech as given, or remarks as prepared. But it must be a speech, and it must have been delivered to an audience within the 2017 calendar year.

Award Nominator - A speech can be nominated by the speechwriter, the speaker or anyone on his/her behalf. Please note: The person submitting the entry will be our permanent contact throughout the course of the awards program, and will receive all correspondence, including receipt of entry and winning entry acknowledgements.

Choosing categories - Entrants may nominate their speech in one or multiple categories. There is a fee for each category entered. Judges reserve the right to change an entry to fit the appropriate category. And all entries are eligible for the Grand Award.

Entry fees and deadlines - The fee for each entry received by February 2, 2018 is $149. The fee for each entry received by March 2, 2018 is $249. Members of the Professional Speechwriters Association receive a 25% dicount on entry fees, using the coupon code "PSA Member".

Return of materials - All speeches submitted to the awards program become the non-exclusive property of the Cicero Speechwriting Awards and may be used for promotional purposes and may be published or excerpted in Vital Speeches of the Day and/or Vital Speeches International. Entries will not be returned.

Awards notification - Winners will be notified by email the week of April 16, 2018. Should your entry place as an award winner, your award certificate will be personalized this way: Category Name, Speechwriter Name and Speech Title.

Questions? – Contact Benjamine Knight by phone at 312-585-6383 or send an e-mail to info@vsotd.com.

Categories

By Organization Type

The winners in this section are those that exemplify a great speech within one of the listed Organization Type categories. The speech does not have to be written about a particular topic; it needs to have been written by or for a person in a particular organization or industry. For example, if you are submitting a speech on teamwork, given by a high school principal, and you want your speech to be judged against other speeches by people in the academic field, you would submit your entry in the Educators category.

001

Agriculture

002

Associations

003

Banking and Financial Services

004

Commerce and Retail

005

Educators

006

Energy

007

Government

008

Insurance

009

Manufacturing and Production

010

Media

011

Military

012

Nonprofit

013

Pharmaceutical

014

Public Policy Institute

015

Service Industry

016

Telecommunications

017

Transportation

By Speech Topic

The winners in this section are those that exemplify a great speech within one of the listed Topic categories. For example, if you are submitting a speech on leadership, and you want your speech to be judged against other speeches on this topic (management), you would submit your entry in the Leadership and Management category.

018

Controversial or Highly Politicized Topics

019

Corporate Social Responsibility

020

Diversity

021

Economics

022

Education

023

Environment/Energy/Sustainability

024

Healthcare

025

Leadership and Management

026

Philosophy and/or Religion

027

Public Policy

028

Rhetoric and Communication

029

Technology

By Type of Occasion

The winners in this section are those that exemplify a great speech for one of the following Type of Occasion categories. There is no requirement as to speaker or topic. For example, if the CEO of a company presents a speech on achievement at a Commencement Address, you would submit in in the Commencement Address category.

030

Analyst Call/Investor Meeting

031

Award Acceptance

032

Campaign Speech

033

Commencement/Convocation Address

034

Dedication/Groundbreaking Ceremony Speech

035

Employee Meeting

036

Eulogy/Tribute Speech

037

Farewell/Resignation Speech

038

Hearing Testimony

039

Inaugural Speech

040

Motivational Speech

041

State-of-the-Institution Speech

Overall (Grand Award)

The Grand Cicero Speechwriting Award evaluates every aspect of a speech. Winning in this category announces to your peers, colleagues and competitors that your speech excels over all others in the industry. To be a winner in this category, your speech must be the best overall against all other speeches. It will not be judged by industry type or topic. You may enter the Grand category only, but understand that every entry into the Cicero Speechwriting Awards will be considered for a Grand Award.

042

Overall (Grand Award)

Judges

Kell Jarner Rasmussen

Kell Jarner Rasmussen is CEO of Rhetor, a Danish firm that specializes in persuasive communication. Rasmussen has worked for more than a decade as a speechwriter and rhetorical adviser in corporate and government offices, as well as political organizations. He's cofounder and former editor of Rhetorica Scandinavica, a scientific journal of rhetoric, and since 2001 he and his partners have held a yearly Danish speechwriting conference.

Isabelle Gaudeul-Ehrhart

How to grab the audience's attention, engage in conversation, and win hearts and minds? These are the questions that have driven Isabelle Gaudeul-Ehrhart throughout her career from print journalism to speechwriting to leading the European Commission speechwriters' network to the Thinktank of the European Parliament. Isabelle gives training and coaching on speechwriting and storytelling. She pursues her passion for word power and power words on her website: logospathosethos.eu.

Robert A. Lehrman

Robert A. Lehrman served as Chief White House speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore. He writes speeches for major political figures as well as corporate and nonprofit CEOs, and celebrities. He's also written six books, including award-winning novels, and the highly-acclaimed Political Speechwriter’s Companion: A Guide for Writers and Speakers. Bob writes op-eds and magazine non-fiction under his own name, including six cover stories for The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Magazine. He talks frequently on radio and TV, gives workshops in the U.S. and other countries, founded and co-teaches political speechwriting at American University where his graduates write speeches for politicians on both sides of the aisle—and include one alum who won the Cicero Speechwriting Award in 2013.

Fletcher Dean

Fletcher Dean is a speechwriter, author and executive communication strategist. Through more than 20 years of corporate experience, he has helped CEOs and senior leaders improve their credibility, reputation and business results by developing strategies, message platforms, and speeches that drive organizational goals. He has won four Gold Cicero Awards including the Grand Prize, is the author of 10 Steps to Writing a Vital Speech and a frequent speaker at speechwriting and communication conferences.

Trey Brown

Trey Brown has served for more than 12 years as a speechwriter and communicator for the US Navy and US Intelligence Community, before which, he served as a Navy helicopter pilot and then English instructor at the US Naval Academy. Writing for Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Trey was the grand prize winner of the 2017 Cicero Speechwriting Awards. Trey currently is employed by Redhorse Corporation, writing for the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. He cowrote James Clapper’s memoir, Facts and Fears: Hard Truths from a Life in Intelligence, scheduled for publication in May 2018.

Tom Rosshirt

Tom Rosshirt has spent more than fifteen years working as a communications director, press secretary and speechwriter at the highest levels of business, government and philanthropy. Before he and his partners founded the writing and communications strategy firm West Wing Writers, Rosshirt served in the Clinton White House as a foreign policy speechwriter for the President. Before that, he served as foreign policy spokesman for Vice President Al Gore. Rosshirt currently writes a nationally syndicated column on politics.

Dana Rubin

Dana Rubin is an award-winning former journalist and speechwriter who has written speeches for leaders at the highest levels of business, government, philanthropy, and higher education. Five years ago she founded the New York Speechwriter's Roundtable, a forum for professional speechwriters to come together, share professional tips, and hear high-level speakers about speechwriting and communications.

Pete Weissman

An award-winning speechwriter and public speaker, Pete Weissman spent more than a dozen years helping leaders in the White House and United States Senate and writing for the CEO/Chairman of The Coca-Cola Company. In 2009, he launched his own firm, Thought Leader Communications, which establishes clients as Thought Leaders and helps corporations, foundations and associations achieve their business goals through creative and successful communications.

FAQ

Who should enter? The competition is open to any speechwriter or speaker from any area of the public or private sectors.

Why enter? Among the benefits of winning a Cicero Speechwriting Award:

Certification (and rare public recognition) that you are the best at your craft

What are Cicero judges looking for in a speech? In the tradition of Vital Speeches of the Day, the Cicero Speechwriting Awards judges speeches one-by-one, avoiding formulas and asking mainly: Does this speech powerfully make the point it set out to make. Along the way, we look for:

Style The speech makes effective use of rhetorical devices and other writing techniques so that the flow is effortless and transitions are seamless. The style accentuates the message rather than getting in the way. Stories are woven in gracefully and illuminate the ideas.

Substance The thesis of the speech is supported by accurate research and facts. Supporting elements fit the audience and occasion. The speech will not be judged on the point of view of the writer or speaker, but rather on the merit of its written presentation.

Coherence As the most basic means of maintaining audience interest, the structure of the speech is clear and coherent. The thesis for the speech is well presented and defended, and the conclusion follows logically from it.

Humanity Is this a speech that anyone could give to any audience at any time? Or is it a truly personal piece of communication, a special delivery from the mind and heart of one human being on a topic of real relevance to a well-chosen audience.

What's the mission of the Cicero Speechwriting Awards? We’re here to honor speechwriters for their contribution to the public conversation. Judged by experts in the communication and rhetoric, the Cicero Speechwriting Awards celebrate all aspects of an unforgettable speech: Style, substance, coherence and humanity.

Is the awards competition open to speeches delivered in any language? The Cicero Speechwriting Awards competition is open to speechwriters worldwide, however the speech must be submitted in English. If the speech was originally given in a different language, it is still eligible if the text of the speech is provided in English.

What if I wrote my speech in December 2016 but presented it in 2017? Does it still qualify? Yes, as long as your speech was presented between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017, it is eligible.

Are all entries eligible and considered for the Grand Award? Yes, though if for some reason you wish to enter your speech only in the competition for the Grand Award, you may do that.

What if I have an idea for a category that is not currently listed? Additional categories will be added for next year's competition and we welcome your suggestions. Just send an e-mail to info@vsotd.com to let us know what categories you would like us to consider.

What if I have additional questions? For more information call Benjamine Knight at 312-585-6383 or e-mail her at info@vsotd.com.

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